Bottle vendor



March 1955 w. M. BARNES ETAL 3,171,569

BOTTLE VENDOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1963 United States Patent Ofilice 3,l7l,559 Patented Mar. 2, 3%65 3,171,569 BS'IT E ENDUR William M. lioness, Delaware Connty, and Thomas Yingst, Mannie, lad, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Universal Match Corporation, Ferguson, Mo a corporation or" Eelaware Filed May 6, 1953, Ser. N 278,295 3 Claims. (Q1. 222-493) This invention relates to bottlewending apparatus, and more particularly to a coin-controlled bottle release mechzmism or trap adapted for vending of one bottle at a time from a stock of bottles upon deposit of an appropriate amount in coin.

The invention is especially concerned with a bottle release mechanism such as is used in a bottle vendor of a well-known type having a refrigerating cabinet wherein bottles are held captive in a rack having a plurality of parallel channels which are too narrow to permit passage of the bodies of the bottles and the bottle heads or caps, but which are wide enough to accommodate the necks of the bottles. These channels connect with a cross channel which leads to a bottle dispensing station, dispensing from this station being controlled by the release mechanism. The release mechanism is normally held locked by a coin-control device located on the outside of the cabinet to prevent removal of any bottles from the cabinet. A customer selects a bottle from one of the channels and moves it along that channel to the cross channel and thence to the dispensing station. Upon insertion of the appropriate amount in coin in the coincontrol device, the release mechanism is unlocked to permit the customer manually to pull out the bottle at the dispensing station (and only that bottle).

Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of an improved bottle release mechanism of the class described which reduces the force required to pull out a bottle from the dispensing station; the provision of a release mechanism which is adapted to handle bottles of diilerent sizes; and the provision of such a bottle release mechanism which is economical in construction and reliable in operation. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in he following claims.

in the accompanying drawings, in which one of Various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a bottle release mechanism construction according to this invention, parts being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 2 is an end view of FIG. 1 taken from the lefthand end of FIG. 1, parts being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a plan of PEG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragment of FIG. 1 showing a moved position of parts; and

FIG. 5 is a fragment position or" parts.

Corresponding reference characters spending parts throughout the several vie ings.

Referring to the drawings, a bottle release mechanism of this invention is shown to comprise a housing generally designated 1, having first and second side walls 3 and 5, a bottom 7 and a top wall or plate 9. These are formed of sheet metal, bottom 7 being integral with wall 5 and having a flange secured as by spot welding to side wall 3. Wall 3 extends up above top wall 9, the latter having an upwardly extending flange 13 secured of FIG. 1 showing another moved indicate correvs of the draw- 2 as by spot welding to the upper part of wall 3. Wall 5 has an outwardly extending flange 1312 at the top. The

top wall 9 bears on this flange and is secured thereto in suitable manner. The housing 1 is adapted to be mounted in a bottle vendor of the type comprising a refrigerating cabinet such as above described, and which has a lid adapted to be swung open for access to bottles in the cabinet, the housing being mounted on the inside of one end wall W of the cabinet (usually the left end wall of the cabinet) and at the top of the cabinet, with wall 3 against the end wall W of the cabinet and secured thereto in suitable manner. Wall 3 may therefore be referred to as the outer wall of the housing 1, and wall 5 as the inner wall. These walls are spaced apart a distancesomewhat greater than the largest diameter of the bottles such as indicated at B to be vended. Wall 5 has an opening 15 as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1 for entry of a bottle from the cross channel of the bottle rack in the cabinet into position for dispensing. Reference may be made, for example, to such US. patents as 2,114,246 and 2,661,992 for a showing of typical bottle racks.

The top wall 9 has a dispensing opening 17 having a relatively restricted entrance 19 from one side of the top wall for lateral entry of the neck of a bottle B. Opening 17 is in register with opening 15 in side wall 5. Opening 17 has first and second opposed edges 17a and 17b spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of a bottle B of the largest body diameter to be vended (usually about two and seven-eighths inches) to enable a bottle having its neck entered in opening 17 to be pulled out through opening 1?. Entrance 19 is somewhat wider than the diameter of the neck of a bottle of the largest neck diameter.

Top wall 9 has an angled flange 21 extending downward from edge 17b of opening 37, presenting a rounded lip at 176. Partitions 23 and 25 extend between walls 3 and 5 on opposite sides of opening in wall 5 and bound 2. space 27 for reception of a bottle to be dispensed, the bottle in this space being referred to as being at the bottle dispensing station. Partitions 2-3 and 25 terminate short of wall 5 to provide a space 2? for a purpose to be stated later.

Rails 31 extend horizontally along the side walls 3 and 5 underneath and spaced from the top wall 9 on the left of openings 15 and 17 as viev ed in FIG. 1. Each rail is generally of angle shape in cross section, having a vertical leg secured as by spot welding to the respective wall 3 or 5 and a horizontal leg projecting from the respective wall toward the other, the horizontal legs constituting ledges for supporting a gate or trap 33 for horizontal sliding movement toward and away from opening 17. For this purpose, the gate 33 has upwardly offset side margins 35' confined between wall 9 and the horizontal legs of rails 31 and slidable on the latter. Gate 33, has an angled flange 37 extending downward therefrom at its end toward opening 17 opposed to flange 21 and presenting a rounded lip 39 opposed to lip 17b. It also has a downwardly extending flange ll at its other end.

The gate 33 is longitudinally slidable underneath top wall 9 in forward direction (toward the left) away from the closed position in which it and in rearward direction back It is biased to slide toward closed position by a coil tension spring 43 connected between partition 23 and flange 41 of the gate. This spring need be only a relatively light weak spring. The closed position of the gate is determined by engagement of flange 41 with stops &5 bent out a distance somewhat greater than Q the diameter of the neck of a bottle but substantially less than the diameter of the body of the smallest bottle to be accommodated.

Means for locking the gate 33 in closed position is shown to comprise a shaft 47 extending transversely with respect to the gate below the gate (and below the top wall 9). This shaft is part of a coin-controlled mechanism indicated at 45 which is mounted on the outside of wall W of the cabinet. The shaft reaches into the housing 1 through holes in walls W and 3, terminating adjacent wall 5. The coin-controlled mechanism 4? is of a well known commercially available type, such as the unit sold by National Rejectors, Inc, of St. Louis, Missouri, under the model designation 05-11-000. The shaft is rotatable on its axis away from and back to the angular position in which it appears in PEG. 1, this position being referred to as its retracted position, and mechanism 49 includes components for biasing the shaft to its retracted position and locking it therein. Unlocking of the shaft is effected by depositing a coin in coin slot 5ft of the coin-controlled mechanism. Upon unlocking of the shaft, it is freed for rotating counterclockwise away from its FIG. 1 retracted position, and, upon rotation of the shaft away from retracted position through a predetermined angle, the lock ing components in mechanism 49 are reset and the coin is dropped into a cash box.

Interengageable means comprising a curved arm 53 on shaft 47 and a lug 55 on the bottom of gate 35 effects locking of the gate in its closed position when the shaft 47 is locked in its retracted position. Lug 55 has a gen erally vertical shoulder 5'7 facing the arm 53 and engageable with the tip of arm 53, and an inclined lower face 5'? which slopes downward in forward direction away from shoulder 57. The arm 53 and lug 55 are so shaped that when the gate slides open, the shoulder 57 engages the tip of the arm to ef ect counterclockwise rotation of the arm and shaft s7. The shoulder engages the tip of the arm until the gate reaches a position such as shown in FIG. 5. Then on further opening of the gate, the inclined lower face 59 of the lug engages and wipes over the tip of the arm (see FIG. 4) resulting in lost motion of the shaft relative to the lug. It will be observed that arm 53 extends upward from the shaft when the latter is in its retracted locked position and that lug 55 extends downward from the gate rearward of the arm.

When the shaft 47 is unlocked, gate 33 is freed for sliding movement away from its closed position to permit a bottle B to be pulled out through opening 17. As the bottle is pulled upward, the taper of the bottle from the body of the bottle to its neck wedges in between lip 17b and lip 39 on the gate 33, and forces the gate to slide away from its closed position (toward the left as viewed in FIG. 1). Lug 55 on the gate engages arm 53 to rotate shaft 47 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1 and this elfects reset of and coin drop in the coin-controlled mechanism.

Shaft 47 has a generally sector-shaped guard plate or door 61 secured on its end inward of wall 5 for swinging movement with the shaft on the shaft axis in a plane adjacent and parallel to wall 5. When the shaft 47 is rotated counterclockwise by gate 33 on withdrawal of a bottle, door 61 swings from the open retracted position clear of opening 15 in which it appears in solid lines in FIG. 1 to the closed position indicated in dotted lines in PEG. 1 blocking the opening 15. This precludese entry of another bottle through opening 15 to the dispensing station until the gate returns to its closed position and shaft is re-locked in its locked position. The door is accommodated in the aforesaid space 29.

It will be understood that bottles to be vended may be of different sizes, varying in body diameter from about two and one-eighth inches to about two and seven-eighth inches. The largest size of bottle opens the gate 33 and swings the arm 53 to the extent shown in PEG. 4. The smallest size opens the gate and swings the arm to the lesser extent shown in PEG. 5. The arrangement with the shoulder 57 of the lug first engaging the tip of arm 53 and the inclined lower face of lug 59 then wiping over the tip of the arm provides for suflicient rotation of the shaft 1-7 on pulling out the smallest size of bottle to reset the coin-controlled mechanism without overtravel of the shaft on pulling out the largest size of bottle.

When a bottle has been completely withdrawn, spring 43 returns the gate 33 t its closed position, and the spring means in coin mechanism 49 rotates shaft 4'7 back to its retracted FIG. 1 position, and the shaft is locked therein to lock the gate in closed position until the next insertion of a coin in mechanism When the shaft rotates back to its retracted position, door 61 is returned to its open position to clear the way for entry of a bottle into the dispensing station. Under some circumstances, it may be possible to eliminate the use of spring 43, utilizing the spring bias from the coin mechanism 49 for returning the gate 33 to closed position.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A bottle vendor having a. top wall provided with a dispensing opening having an entrance from one side of said top wall for lateral entry of the neck of a bottle from a supply of bottles, said opening having first and second opposed edges spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the body of a bottle. to enable a bottle having its neck entered in the opening to be pulled out through the opening, a gate mounted for longitudinal sliding movement underneath said top wallaway from and back to a closed position, said gate when in closed position projecting past said first edge of the opening with its end toward the second edge of the opening spaced from the latter a distance greater than the diameter of the neck of a bottle but less than the diameter of the body of a bottle, and means for locking the gate in its said closed position comprising a shaft extending transversely with respect to the gate below the top wall, said shaft being rotatable on its axis away from and back to a retracted position and adapted to be locked in its said retracted position by a coin-controlled mechanism, interengageable means on said gate and said shaft for effecting looking of the gate in closed position when the shaft is locked in its retracted position, said gate being freed for sliding movement away from its closed position when the shaft is unlocked to permit a bottle to be pulled out through said opening and said bottle acting to slide said gate away from its closed position, said gate in sliding away from its closed position acting via said interengageable means to rotate said shaft in one direction away from its re-' tracted position, and a guard carried by the shaft adapted to swing with the shaft from an open retracted position to a closed position blocking off entry of a bottle into position for being withdrawn through the dispensing opening upon rotation of the shaft away from its retracted position.

2. A bottlerelease mechanism comprising a housing having side walls and a top wall, one of said side walls having an opening for passage of a bottle from a supply of bottles into dispensing position in the housing and the top wall being provided with a dispensing opening having an entrance for lateral entry of the neck of a bottle passed through said side wall opening, said dispensing opening having first and second opposed edges spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the body of a bottle to enable a bottle having its neck entered in the opening to be pulled out through the opening, a gate mounted for longitudinal sliding movement underneath said top wall away from and back to a closed position, said gate when in closed position projecting past said first edge of the opening with its end toward the second edge of the opening spaced from the latter a distance greater than the diameter of the neck of a bottle but less than the diameter of the body of a bottle, means for locking the gate in its said closed position comprising a shaft extending across said housing transversely with respect to the gate and below the gate, said shaft being rotatable on its axis away from and back to a retracted position and adapted to be locked in its said retracted position by a coin-controlled mechanism located outward of the other side wall of the housing, said shaft having an arm thereon and said gate having a lug engageable with said arm for effecting locking of the gate in closed position when the shaft is locked in its retracted position, said gate being freed for sliding movement away from its closed position when the shaft is unlocked to permit a bottle to be pulled out through said opening and said bottle acting to slide said gate away from its closed position, said lug engaging said arm when the gate slides away from its closed position to rotate the shaft in one direction away from its retracted position, and a guard carried by the shaft for swinging movement in a plane adjacent and parallel to said one side wall and adapted to swing with the shaft from an open retracted position clear of said side wall opening to a closed position blocking said side wall opening upon rotation of said shaft away from its retracted position.

3. A bottle release mechanism comprising a housing having a side walls and a top wall, one of said side walls having an opening for passage of a bottle from a supply of bottles into dispensing position in the housing and the top wall being rovided with a dispensing opening having an entrance for lateral entry of the neck of a bottle passed through said side wall opening, said dispensing opening having first and second opposed edges spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the body of a bottle to enable a bottle having its neck entered in the opening to be pulled out through the opening, a gate mounted for longitudinal sliding movement underneath said top wall away from and back to a closed position, said gate when in closed position projecting past said first edge of the opening with its end toward the second edge of the opening spaced from the latter a distance greater than the diameter of the neck of a bottle but less than the diameter of the body of a bottle, means for locking the gate in its said closed position comprising a shaft extending across said housing transversely with respect to the gate and below the gate, said shaft being rotatable on its axis away from and back to a retracted position and adapted to be locked in its said retracted position by a coin-controlled mechanism located outward of the other side wall of the housing, said shaft having an arm thereon and said gate having a lug engageable with said arm for efiecting locking of the gate in closed position when the shaft is locked in its retracted position, said gate being freed for sliding movement away from its closed position when the shaft is unlocked to permit a bottle to be pulled out through said opening and said bottle acting to slide said gate away from its closed position, said lug engaging said arm when the gate slides away from its closed position to rotate the shaft in one direction away from its retracted position, said arm extending upward from the shaft when the latter is in its retracted position and said lug extends downward from the gate, and a guard plate extending down from the shaft in a plane adjacent and parallel to said one side wall and adapted to swing with the shaft from an open retracted position clear of said side wall opening to a closed position blocking said side wall opening upon rotation of said shaft away from its retracted position.

4. A bottle release mechanism as set forth in claim 3 further comprising tension spring means connected to the gate and acting to bias the gate toward its closed position.

5. In a bottle vendor comprising a refrigerating cabinet having an end wall, the improvement comprising a bottle release mechanism including a housing having a bottom, first and second side walls and a top wall, said housing being mounted on the inside of said cabinet end wall with its said first wall against the inside of said end wall, the said second side wall of the housing having an opening for passage of a bottle from a supply of bottles in the cabinet into dispensing position in the housing and the top wall of the housing being provided with a dispensing opening having an entrance for lateral entry of the neck of a bottle passed through said opening in said second side wall, said dispensing opening having first and second opposed edges spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the body of a bottle to enable a bottle having its neck entered in the opening to be pulled out through the opening, a gate mounted for longitudinal sliding movement underneath said top wall be tween said side walls in forward direction away from a closed position and in rearward direct-ion back to said closed position, said gate when in closed position projecting rearward past said first edge of the opening with its end toward the second edge of the opening spaced from the latter a distance greater than the diameter of the neck of a bottle but less than the diameter of the body of a bottle, and means for locking the gate in its said closed position comprising a shaft reaching into sai housing through said end wall and said first side wall at right angles thereto directly below the gate, said shaft being rotatable on its axis away from and back to a retracted position and adapted to be locked in its said retractcd position by a coin-controlled mechanism located on the outside of said end wall, said shaft having an arm extending upward therefrom when the shaft is in its locked retracted position, and said gate having a lug extending downward therefrom rearward of the arm when the gate is in its closed position and the shaft is in its locked retracted position, said lug being engageable with said arm for effecting locking of the gate in closed position when the shaft is locked in its retracted position, said gate being freed for forward sliding movement away from its closed position when the shaft is unlocked to permit a bottle to be pulled out through said opening and said bottle acting to slide said gate forward away from its closed position, said lug engaging said arm when the gate slides away from its closed position to rotate the shaft in one direction away from its retracted position.

6. In a bottle vendor as set forth in claim 5, a guard movable on forward movement of said gate from an open retracted position clear of said opening in said second side wall to a closed position blocking said opening in said second side wall.

7. In a bottle vendor as set forth in claim 6, said guard when in its open retracted position being positioned forward of said opening in said second side wall and movable rearward on forward movement of said gate.

8. In a bottle vendor as set forth in claim 7, said guard being carried by said shaft for swinging movement therewith in a plane adjacent and parallel to said second side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,258,409 Cunningham Oct. 7, 1941 2,332,214 Forsthoefel et al. Oct. 19, 1943 2,727,654 ChilderS et a1 Dec. 20, 1955 

1. A BOTTLE VENDOR HAVING A TOP WALL PROVIDED WITH A DISPENSING OPENING HAVING AN ENTRANCE FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID TOP WALL FOR LATERAL ENTRY OF THE NECK OF A BOTTLE FROM A SUPPLY OF BOTTLES, SAID OPENING HAVING FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSED EDGES SPACED APART A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BODY OF A BOTTLE TO ENABLE A BOTTLE HAVING ITS NECK ENTERED IN THE OPENING TO BE PULLED OUT THROUGH THE OPENING, A GATE MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT UNDERNEATH SAID TOP WALL AWAY FROM AND BACK TO A CLOSED POSITION, SAID GATE WHEN IN CLOSED POSITION PROJECTING PAST SAID FIRST EDGE OF THE OPENING WITH ITS END TOWARD THE SECOND EDGE OF THE OPENING SPACED FROM THE LATTER A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE NECK OF A BOTTLE BUT LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BODY OF A BOTTLE, AND MEANS FOR LOCKING THE GATE IN ITS SAID CLOSED POSITION COMPRISING A SHAFT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS AWAY FROM THE BACK TO A RETRACTED ROTATABLE ON ITS AXIS AWAY FROM AND BACK TO A RETRACTED POSITION AND ADAPTED TO BE LOCKED IN ITS SAID RETRACTED POSITION BY A CON-CONTROLLED MECHANISM, INTERENGAGEABLE MEANS ON SAID GATE AND SAID SHAFT FOR EFFECTING LOCKING OF THE GATE IN CLOSED POSITION WHEN THE SHAFT IS LOCKED IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION, SAID GATE BEING FREED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT AWAY FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION WHEN THE SHAFT IS UNLOCKED TO PERMIT A BOTTLE TO BE PULLED OUT THROUGH SAID OPENING AND SAID BOTTLE ACTING TO SLIDE SAID GATE AWAY FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION, SAID GATE IN SLIDING AWAY FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION ACTING VIA SAID INTERENGAGEABLE MEANS TO ROTATE SAID SHAFT IN ONE DIRECTION AWAY FROM ITS RETRACTED POSITION, AND A GUARD CARRIED BY THE SHAFT ADAPTED TO SWING WITH THE SHAFT FROM AN OPEN RETRACTED POSITION TO A CLOSED POSITION BLOCKING OFF ENTRY OF A BOTTLE INTO POSITION FOR BEING WITHDRAWN THROUGH THE DISPENSING OPENING UPON ROTATION OF THE SHAFT AWAY FROM ITS RETRACTED POSITION. 